Baby's Day Out
by DracoCharizard87
Summary: Lily ends up having to look after her baby cousin Flora, with Draco and Darky being the only ones able to help her. The task proved to be a handful for the three dragons, but the situation gets worse when the Pyre Squad kidnaps Flora.
1. Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

**DRAGON HEROES**

Things seem to be back to normal now as our heroes have returned to Japan with their new friends, but as it expected, there's plenty of challenges in store for them, and this story is no exception as soon they, or to be exact, Lily, will be facing an unexpected ordeal. Read on and find out! This story, along with the next one that will come after, is actually an idea my friend BlueMario1016 suggested, so I have him to thank for that. Anyway, enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Baby's Day Out  
**

 **Chapter 1 – Home Sweet Home  
**

It felt like a lifetime for Cynder and her friends when they arrived at the Ise-Shima National Park of Japan, in spite of their vacation lasting for two weeks. While they waited for the Tornado to come, Cynder stretched her arms and breathed in the fresh Japanese air.

"Home at last," she murmured. "And it feels good to be back in the cold."

"Boy, it feels pretty chilly," commented Klump as he shivered. "Though nowhere near as cold as the Gorilla Glacier region of Kongo Island."

"Duh, those mountains are always freezing," said Krusha.

Presently, the group heard the whirring sound of the Tornado as it drew closer. Soon, it touched down gently on the ground, and once it finished landing, Tails, Blaze, Kalypso, Kass, and Kip got off the plane. It also did not take long for Charonus and Jeremy to arrive at the scene.

Charonus was very impressed as he looked around the national park. "So this is Japan," he said. "It sure reminds me a bit of my homeworld's Johto region."

Tails chuckled. "Still looking for comparisons, I see," he said.

"You bet," said Charonus. "This place looks very amazing."

"So, whereabouts is your village?" asked Jeremy.

"It's not really far from here," replied Cynder. "Come on, guys, follow me."

So the group all followed Cynder through the forest, and soon they could see the village up ahead, exactly the way it was since they left for Hawaii. Bowser was pleased to see that even after he went back to Molokai Island to help his friends when they were in trouble with King K. Rool and his Kremling Krew, the village was still in good condition.

"Here we are, everyone, this is Reptiville," said Cynder. "What do you think?"

"Not too shabby," remarked Charonus. "It does seem a bit small, though."

"Yeah, it is," said Percival. "Considering that there are only six of us, well, seven if you count Darky, and now eight since Bowser has been staying with us for quite some time."

"Now that you mention it," began Jeremy. "There's something I want to ask you guys."

"Yes, what is it?" asked Jakkin.

"Since there's Charonus, our new Kremling friends, and myself, where shall we stay?"

"Yeah, we can't be sleeping out in the cold," added Kalypso.

The dragons looked awkwardly at each other. At first, they considered Krusha, Klump, Jeremy, and Charonus were going to stay in four of the huts, but with Kalypso, Kass, and Kip now being among them, they were in a dilemma as there was not any room for more.

"Wait, I think I got it," said Bowser.

"Do you have a plan, Bowser?" asked Draco.

"Yes, I do," replied Bowser. "We have plenty of room in our little castle over at Australia, so maybe, if our Kremlings buddies want to, they can go stay over there."

"That doesn't sound bad at all," said Kip. "Way to use that noggin of yours, Bowser!"

"Is there anyone else living there?" asked Kass.

"Well, there's only my eldest adopted son Ludwig," said Bowser. "Surely he could do with some companionship, even though he's mostly absorbed in his solitude composing and playing music."

"Oh, that's so hip!" exclaimed Kalypso. "The twins and I love music, and we entertain our homies back in the shizzle!"

"Mhmmm, got that right, sis," said Kip. "You should hear some of the best raps by yours truly! The best darn DJ of Crocodile Isle, yo!"

"Of course, we do more than just rap," said Kass. "We're also into jazz, blues, and soul as well."

"Pretty cool, you guys." said Bowser. "I suppose you're perfect to be residents of the castle."

"Thanks very much for taking us in, Bowser," said Kalypso. "I must say that you're a lot nicer than King K. Rool."

"No need to worry about the likes of him," said Bowser. "In my castle, you will be treated with dignity and respect."

The Kremlings smiled. Just then, Jimmy Lionheart arrived at the village, and when he saw the dragons, he was pleased.

"Ah, good to see that you have come back," he said. "I really need your help, you guys."

"Hey, Jimmy," said Torden, feeling a sense of excitement when it seemed as if there was going to be some action involved. "Help you with what, might I ask?"

"The Anthro League is searching for new admissions willing to join them," replied Jimmy. "We're picking up some strange activity somewhere across the globe, so we're trying to make better preparations in case a threat does show up. Surely you might know anyone who has experience in combat?"

"Did you hear that, Krusha?" whispered Klump. "This lion is looking for some fighters to join what sounds like some kind of organisation that strives for freedom."

"Uh, what does dat mean?" asked Krusha.

"It means that there's an opportunity for us to do good," replied Klump. "We're qualified as we have combat skills, so let's take that chance."

"Dat sounds like a good plan!" exclaimed Krusha.

"Hey!" called Klump. "My partner and I will be interested! We're both fighters, as you can tell by our military outfits!"

"Absolutely splendid," said Jimmy.

"This sounds like something which could help me get stronger," said Charonus. "You can count me in!"

"I'll give it a shot too," said Jeremy. "I'm a pretty decent fighter myself."

"Okay, it's all settled," said Jimmy. "Come with me, boys, and thanks for wanting to participate."

After Jimmy, Klump, Krusha, Charonus, and Jeremy left for Kyoto, Blaze looked at Tails and nodded at him to let him know that it was time for them to head back home.

"Well, it's time for us to get going," said Tails. "We hope that you all had fun in our vacation, and we hope that you have learned something valuable."

"We sure did, Blaze," said Cynder. "Thanks for the wonderful trip."

"And I better help get Kalypso, Kip, and Kass to my castle," said Bowser.

"Come back safely, Bowser," said Draco. "And thanks for accompanying us. The trip would never have been the same without you."

"Stay fresh, homies!" said Kalypso, Kip, and Kass, and they waved goodbye to the dragons.


	2. Chapter 2: Lily's Relatives

**Chapter 2 – Lily's Relatives  
**

The dragons watched as Bowser disappeared into the forest with Kalypso, Kip, and Kass close behind. They turned around to their huts, feeling very relieved to be back home.

"Boy, howdy!" exclaimed Jakkin. "That was one eventful vacation!"

"Tell me about it," said Lily. "So much fun, that's what I can say about our trip all around the Hawaiian Islands, and I really loved everything about it, including all those souvenirs I collected during our travels!"

Lily unpacked her bags and showed her friends all of her souvenirs. They were very impressed with what she bought. Some of them were accessories while others were decorations.

"Wow, you sure have quite the collection, Lily," said Draco. "This is very impressive."

"Come to my hut everyone!" beamed Lily. "I'm going to make you all some really delicious lunch!"

"Yes, some grub!" said Torden, licking his lips.

"I'm starving," said Draco. "I could do with a large helping of some pizza or dim sums."

"Well, you guys are going to get what you're craving," smiled Lily. "Let's get cooking!"

So Lily brought her friends into her hut and got to work preparing a banquet for them. She made several pizzas, each with different toppings, followed by some dim sums packed in baskets, and then an assortment of sweet pastries for dessert. The dragons could sniff the aroma, and already their mouths were watering.

"Oh, boy, this smells good," they said. "When will they be done, Lily?"

"Hang in there, guys," said Lily as she made some touch-ups on the dishes. "Lunch is almost ready."

And soon it was. When Lily served the feast, all the dragons chowed down away at the food. Percival, Cynder, and Lily daintily ate their dishes as they watched Draco, Jakkin, Torden, and Darky ravenously stuffing their faces. They still could not get used to their appalling table manners.

"You four are eating as if you never had anything for a long time," said Percival. "When are you ever going to learn to ease up?"

"Oh, well," said Draco. "The food in Hawaii was great, but Lily's was so much better."

However, Draco's voice was muffled as his mouth was stuffed with food, which made it hard for the others to understand what he was saying.

"For goodness sakes, Draco," said Percival. "Please don't talk with your mouth full. Swallow your food, and then speak."

Draco shrugged before gulping down his food, but before he could speak what he was saying beforehand, he let off a loud, resonant belch. Cynder sweated with embarrassment while desperately trying not to laugh. Jakkin and Torden applauded, and Lily snickered quietly to herself. Percival, on the other hand, was not amused.

"Talk about disgusting," he grumbled.

"What was saying was that the food in Hawaii was great," said Draco. "But Lily's cooking is a lot better, so I couldn't but enjoy the food with so much enthusiasm."

"That makes a lot of sense," said Torden. "Lily is one heck of a cook and she can make even the simplest dishes into something very scrumptious, succulent, and mouth-watering."

"I'm very glad to hear that you like what I cook Draco," smiled Lily. "So your table manners are pardoned."

"There's nothin' like having the original after being out for so long, that's for sure," said Jakkin as he finished his pizza.

Darky relaxed on his seat as he rubbed his now bloated belly. "That really hits the spot," he said. "Thank you for this delicious lunch, Lily."

"Guess we better head back to our huts, though I'm thinking of doing a bit of a workout to get me pumped up for whenever we have to fight again," said Torden, and he turned to Jakkin. "Hey, Jakk, wanna be my sparring partner?"

"With pleasure, Torden," said Jakkin as he got up from his seat.

"I'll be doing a bit of meditating in my hut," said Percival.

"Myself, I'm going to read some of my books," said Cynder. "It's been ages since I've checked out my library."

"It's good to see that you guys are going to unwind with your hobbies after that vacation," said Lily. "What about you, Draco? Got anything planned to do in your room?"

"Actually, I'm going to be at Percival's and play his arcade games," said Draco. "Surely, it shouldn't affect his meditating, right?"

"No, not at all, Draco," said Percival. "The game machine is all yours to play."

"May all of you enjoy yourselves," said Lily. "I myself am going to take a nap and then redecorate my hut. This last couple of weeks has been quite a busy one, and I sure hope we don't have anything to worry about for the time being."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Surprised, yet curious, Lily went to answer. The others thought it could either be Bowser or Tails and Blaze.

"Who's there?" asked Lily.

"Lily, is that you?" called an unfamiliar female voice.

"It really is you!" exclaimed another voice, this time, a male.

The other dragons never heard those two new voices before, but Lily was the only one who recognised. "Aunt Iris? Uncle Linden?" she asked.

"You do remember!" said Iris, happily. "Please let us in!"

So Lily opened the door, and a pair of dragons entered. Linden was a tall green dragon with a blond mane while Iris is a dark purple dragoness, also with a blonde mane. They smiled at Lily, having not seen her for a long time.

"My goodness, Lily," said Linden. "You have sprouted into a beautiful dragoness. How's your grandmother Peony?"

"She's doing fine, and thanks for the compliment," said Lily. "How did you two find me?"

"We have moved to Japan not too long ago," replied Iris. "And we've been hearing rumours about a pink dragoness living around the area, which made us think of you, so we decided to see how you are since it's been very long since we've seen each other."

"Thanks, Uncle Linden and Aunt Iris," said Lily as she gave them a hug. "Oh, I'd like you to meet my friends! Say hello to Cynder, Draco, Jakkin, Torden, Percival, and Darky! Guys, say to my aunt and uncle!"

"Pleased to meet you two," said the dragons.

"My, that's some wonderful friends you have made there, Lily," smiled Iris. "How did you meet them?"

"It's a bit of a long story," said Lily. "I met first Draco, Cynder, and Darky while I was back in Norway in my hometown of Tromso. They invited me to join their group as they were looking for new friends, so after my best friend Torden decided to align with them, I did the same, and we all had a lot of adventures together. We just came back from a trip in Hawaii."

"Wow, that sounds like you had fun," said Linden. "It's good to know that you have friends to hang around with."

"They're a lot of fun, in spite of the ups and downs would occasionally have," said Lily.

Linden and Iris smiled. Then, they remembered something.

"Lily," they began. "Now that we have found you, there's a favour we'd like you to do for us."

"A favour?" asked Lily. "What kind of favour?"

"This is going to be a surprise to you, Lily," said Iris. "If you accept this, you're going to meet your baby cousin Flora for the first time."

"Well that's good news to he-WHAT?!" exclaimed Lily. "You two have a kid already?"

"That's right," said Linden, feeling very proud. "She's just an infant, but she's growing up into a cute one."

"Oh, sweet," said Lily. "Congratulations, Uncle Linden and Aunt Iris!"

"Thanks, but here's the thing," continued Linden. "Iris and I are going out to do some shopping, and we can't leave our little one on her own. Normally, we'd seek out one of them day care places, but since you're here, I'm sure you could take up the job of babysitting, right?"

Lily thought for a moment. "Okay! I'll be happy to babysit!" she said, happily.

"That's wonderful to hear," smiled Iris.

"However, doing the job alone might be a handful for me," said Lily.

"Maybe your friends can come along and help," suggested Linden.

"Sounds like a good plan," said Lily, and she turned to her friends. "Hey, guys, I was wondering if you'd like to come and help me look after my baby cousin Flora."

All the dragons looked awkwardly at each other. Much as they were close to Lily, they were not so keen on the idea of babysitting, especially when they had other things planned. But there was one dragon Lily knew had no excuse.

"Draco," she began. "How would you like to help me babysit my little cousin?"

"Me?" exclaimed the Charizard as he sweated nervously. "Wha-what makes you think I'd look after a little kid?"

"Oh, come on, Draco," said Lily. "Your video games can wait as it's not really that important, and besides, you and Cynder are always with Darky."

"Just go with Lily, Draco," said Cynder, impatiently. "This is just going to last for a day, you know."

"Alright, fine," conceded Draco. "I'll help you, Lily."

"Oh, big bro, let me come too," said Darky. "I wanna see the little baby dragon girl."

"Sure, you can," smiled Lily. "The more, the merrier, like I always say."

"Perfect," said Linden and Iris. "Now follow me, you three. We shall reach Minabe Village in no time."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here is where we see theme naming for Lily and her family as they're all named after flowers.


	3. Chapter 3: The Babysitter Jitters

**Chapter 3 – The Babysitter Jitters  
**

It did not take long for Linden, Iris, Draco, Lily, and Darky to arrive at Minabe Village. The village appeared as a quiet and peaceful picturesque farming community as it was full of pastures and crops, giving it a very rural atmosphere. Soon, they arrived at a small cottage.

"Here we are, kids," said Linden. "This is our house."

"Wow, this looks like comfortable living," said Draco.

"So, where is Flora?" asked Lily.

"She should still be sleeping at the moment," said Iris. "Though I would appreciate it that you three go easy on her if she starts crying, because believe me, she is surprisingly loud."

"That's just great," muttered Darky.

"Now remember," said Linden. "Flora's feeding time should be about an hour later, and if her bottle is empty, be sure to refill it, but not before warming up the milk."

"Alright, no problem," said Lily.

"Also, if she ever does you-know-what," said Linden. "Be sure to change her you-know-which."

"Yes, I do get what you're saying," said Lily.

"We trust that you'll take good care of our little Flora," said Iris. "See you in the evening."

Linden and Iris spread their wings, and together, they took off into the sky.

"See you later, Uncle Linden and Aunt Iris!" called Lily.

Draco and Darky waited patiently yet unenthusiastically as Lily turned around to face them.

"Guess this place is ours for the time," said Draco.

"That is correct, Draco," said Lily. "Now let's go inside and check on the baby."

Inside the cottage of Linden and Iris, Lily, Draco and Darky noticed that everything was well organised. They entered Flora's room, and there they saw the baby dragoness sleeping calmly in her crib.

"Oh, look at her," fawned Lily. "She is such an adorable little angel."

"Let me have a look," said Draco, and when he saw Flora, he was taken in by her cuteness. "Aw, she really is a lovely baby dragon," he said.

Darky wanted to have a look, but he was too short.

"Right, I think we should let her be for now until she wants something," whispered Lily.

"Good idea," agreed Draco. "Let's watch a bit of TV."

The three dragons were about to relax and watch television, when suddenly, they heard some loud, shrill crying.

"That must be Flora," said Lily. "Draco, you go and check what she wants."

"As you wish," sighed Draco, and he went into where he could see Flora awake screaming through the top of her lungs and letting off tears as she cried. "Hush, Flora," he soothed. "Please stop crying."

"She might be hungry, Draco," said Lily. "I'll go heat the milk in case her bottle is empty."

Draco picked up the bottle, and he could see that it was more than half empty. When Lily finished warming the milk, Draco handed her the bottle so she could refill it, and he passed it over to Flora who started sucking away at it.

"Phew, what a relief," he remarked as he wiped his brow. "Now we can have some peace and quiet."

The dragons thought their troubles with Flora were over, but then they could smell something off. Lily and Draco checked around the house to investigate, but found nothing that was letting off the foul smell. It was not until they checked Flora's room where the smell was stronger, which made them realise what it meant as they almost gagged.

"I guess she must have soiled herself," choked Lily. "We'll have to get some clean diapers."

"But where can they be?" asked Draco as he blocked his snout with his claws.

"How should I know?" grumbled Lily. "This isn't my house! You and Darky start looking for them."

* * *

The Pyre Squad were very curious to know why they saw Draco, Lily and Darky without their friends. They could tell that it must have been something important, and they considered that it would provide them the opportunity to cause trouble for them. They searched Minabe Village in the hopes of discovering the three dragons.

"They have got to be around here somewhere," said Ciara.

"I don't know why we even bother going after Draco, Lily and Darky," said Scorcher.

"Yeah," agreed Cronk. "Why can't we just wait until they're together in their group so we can catch all of them?"

"Because, you dopes, if we nab them first, Cynder and the rest will have to come and rescue them," said Ciara. "And when they least expect it, wham! All seven of them will be trapped, and there's no one there save them this time!"

"Oh, I get it," said Scorcher delightfully. "But first we need to think up of a good trap in which they can't get away from easily."

Soon, the Pyre Squad have reached a cottage, and they were just about to continue their search for Draco, Lily, and Darky, when suddenly they heard some noises coming from within.

"No! Get back into the crib!" yelled a voice.

Instantly, the Pyre Squad recognised that the voice belonged to Draco.

"Did you hear that?" asked Ciara.

"Yeah, it's that dino-dragon Draco!" exclaimed Cronk. "And it came from that house over there!"

"Let's go and have a look what those three are up to," said Ciara. "It sounds like that they're in a pickle, which could mean that they'll be easy to catch off guard!"

The Pyre Squad approached the house and peered into one of the windows, where they could see Draco and Lily trying to catch a baby dragon that was flying all around the house.

"So there they are," said Scorcher. "And by the looks of it, they must be babysitting that little dragon."

Cronk just had an idea. "Hey, friends," he said. "I think I have the perfect plan we could be able to catch those do-gooders."

"Well, then," said Ciara. "Why don't you go ahead and tell us what you're formulating inside that miniscule brain of yours."

"The only way we can able to catch those three is through the brat," said Cronk. "If we catch the kid, we can lure them into turning themselves in! Then, when we catch them, the rest of Cynder's group will be ours, and then we can take them all including the baby to Lord Sardius!"

"That's some devious planning you got there, Cronk," said Scorcher. "I'm impressed!"

Cronk grinned. "Why, thank you," he said.

"Now, let's get to work, you boneheads!" declared Ciara.

* * *

Draco and Lily frantically pursued Flora as she flew into the living room, laughing excitedly. They had gone through a lot of trouble changing the baby dragon's diaper, and now she was flying around evading their catches.

"Stay where you are, Flora!" panted Draco. "This isn't a game, you know!"

"I'm at the other side, Draco!" called Lily. "Make sure she doesn't get away!"

The two dragons adjusted themselves accordingly as they stood from opposite ends of the living room, trying to get the precise aim to catch Flora. Darky watched anxiously at the scene.

"Get ready on the count of three," called Draco as he fixed his sights on the baby dragon. "One… two… THREE!"

In unison, Draco and Lily leaped forwards with their hands out ready to catch Flora, but at the last moment, the baby dragon dodged them, causing Draco and Lily hit each other's heads. They fell to the ground in a daze. Flora laughed at them and continued her flight, finding the chase a lot of fun.

"I may be a hyperactive and playful dragoness," groaned Lily. "But this is ridiculous!"

"We better try again," said Draco. "Hopefully, she'll tire herself out soon."

However, Flora was anything but tired as she was still full of energy. Darky attempted to help out, but he was too short to reach up high, and Flora was flying very close to the ceiling.

Already the chase had caused the three dragons to make a mess of the cottage as some of the furniture was tipped over, some of the containers in the kitchen have fell to the floor, and several curtains were dropped down. Lily cringed, knowing that she and her friends would be in trouble if Linden and Iris saw their house in such a state.

To make matters worse, the door leading outside was left open. Draco noticed it while he was pursuing Flora.

"Hurry up, Lily!" he urged. "If she continues flying around, it's only a matter of time before she flies outside!"

But it was too late. Lily and Darky leapt as high and quickly as they could, but Flora was too fast for them. She zipped across the living, and to the horror of Draco, Lily, and Darky, flew out the door.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** As if the chapter title can't be any more obvious, it's a reference and homage to the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog episode "Baby-Sitter Jitters." Gotta love using the Battered Babysitter trope whenever little kids are involved.


	4. Chapter 4: Kidnapped!

**Chapter 4 – Kidnapped!**

Draco, Lily, and Darky panicked, and they raced out of the house to catch Flora. They could not let anything bad happen to her as they knew that they would be in even more trouble.

"Come back here, Flora!" cried Lily. "It's too dangerous!"

"Let's split up and track her down!" said Draco. "That way, we can be able to catch her easily before she gets hurt!"

Lily flinched at the thought of that. "What will Aunt Iris and Uncle Linden say if they return and found Flora missing?" she wondered. "And if they see the wreckage in the house, oh boy, this will not be good for me."

"They'll be cross with all of us," said Draco. "So we better hurry as fast as we can!"

The three dragons split up and searched around the perimeter of the cottage hoping to find Flora, but to no avail. The baby dragoness was nowhere in sight. Soon, the dragons regrouped as they anxiously looked everywhere.

"Where could she be?" asked Lily.

"I don't know," said Draco. "She was here the instant she went out of the house, and then, she just vanished, which I find very odd as it would impossible for her to go that far in a short amount of time."

They continued their search for Flora. Just then, Darky noticed something peculiar in the distance.

"Draco, Lily, look over there!" he exclaimed. "I think that must be her!"

The two dragons checked what Darky saw and there they saw a baby dragoness, presumably Flora, sitting still on her own. This seemed to be right moment they needed to be able to catch her.

"Try not to make a sound, you guys," warned Lily. "We want her to suspect nothing so that she can be easy to catch."

"Got it," said Draco and Darky.

With that, the three dragons crept silently and stealthily towards Flora, who was still sitting very quietly and gazing out to the sun. They were confused at the sudden change of behaviour, but they figured that they could be able to catch her unawares.

"Stay where you are, Flora," said Draco. "We'll get you back home."

Judging his moment, Draco leapt towards the baby dragon and managed to hold her in his grasp.

"Alright, you did it, Draco!" exclaimed Lily and Darky.

Draco got up as he held onto Flora. "Thought you could get away, don't you?" he asked. "Well, the fun's over, and it's time for you to get some sleep, so…"

It seemed as if Draco's words failed him, but just when he was in the middle of lecturing Flora, her head detached from the body and fell to the ground. Draco gasped in shock and realised that he was not carrying Flora, but a dummy replica of her. Lily and Darky were puzzled when they saw what just happened.

"What's going on?" asked Lily, feeling just as shocked as she stared at the fallen head of the dummy.

"This isn't Flora!" shrieked Draco. "We've been duped! What kind of sick, twisted miscreants would dare to pull a cruel prank like that?"

"You must be referring to us!" called three familiar voices.

"Oh, no, not them again," grumbled Draco.

Sure enough, there was the Pyre Squad, and they sneered maliciously at Draco, Lily, and Darky while carrying Flora in a cage.

"I bet you're looking for this little baby," said Ciara. "Well, you're too late! She's ours now!"

"You three!" burst out Lily. "Give her back, or you'll be in so much trouble!"

"I'm so scared," laughed Ciara. "You want the kid? Come and get her!"

Furiously, Lily raced towards the Pyre Squad, but just as she could attack them, a cloud of smoke suddenly burst in front of them, covering Draco, Lily, and Darky who were choking uncontrollably.

"If you want to get the kid back," called Scorcher. "Try searching for our hideout, if you could ever find it!"

"Yeah, see if you can find us at the Lake Biwa," said Cronk. "You'll never be able to tell where we are!"

"So long, suckers!" jeered the Pyre Squad and they quickly got away with the captive Flora before the smoke could clear.

Draco, Lily, and Darky continued choking and sputtering until the smoke completely dissipated. Once they recovered, the dragons looked around for the Pyre Squad and Flora. Unfortunately, they were nowhere in sight.

"This is bad," said Lily as she fell to her knees and lowered her head. "They're gone and Flora's been kidnapped!"

"We failed as babysitters," said Draco sadly. "It's our fault that we let Flora fly out of the house."

Lily still had her head lowered, but then she raised it back up with a determined look on her face. "We got to rescue Flora from the Pyre Squad," she said solemnly. "And we better get her back home fast before Uncle Linden and Aunt Iris return."

"How are we going to do that?" asked Darky.

"You heard what they said, little brother," said Draco. "They're hiding somewhere in the Lake Biwa, and we should be able to locate the place with the help of our smartphones."

"Draco, you're a lifesaver," smiled Lily. "Quickly now, check how far away Lake Biwa is from Minabe Village."

Draco took out his smartphone and looked up the location of Lake Biwa.

"Oh, looks like we've lucked out!" he exclaimed. "Lake Biwa is just to the northeast of Kyoto City!"

"In that case, we might have plenty of time to spare!" said Lily, brightly. "I mean, it doesn't take us that long to fly from our village at the Ise-Shima National Park to Kyoto."

"Yes, of course," said Draco. "We can save Flora, get her back home, and clean up the house before your aunt and uncle get back."

"Alright, let's get a move on!" urged Lily. "There's no time to lose, boys!"

While Darky climbed on Draco's back, Lily spread her wings and took off like a shot towards the horizon. Quickly, Draco got his wings ready and followed Lily. Together, they flew straight for Lake Biwa where they hope to find the Pyre Squad's hideout and save Flora from the troublesome trio.


	5. Chapter 5: Draco's Cunning Plan

**Chapter 5 – Draco's Cunning Plan**

The Pyre Squad waited patiently for Draco, Lily, and Darky to arrive in their hideout at Lake Biwa. Flora was still locked in her cage, but she was already sound asleep and sucking her big claw.

"It won't be long before those three will show up," said Ciara, relishing on the thought of their plan coming to fruition. "Victory is going to be ours soon!"

"What a clever plan," laughed Scorcher. "And we owe it all to you, Cronk!"

"Anytime, my chums," said Cronk. "We better get started with the second phase of our plan. Draco, Lily, and Darky will be here at any minute now, and they'll come asking for the baby back, so we'll pretend to do so by leaving her in the spot. When the three grab her, the cage above will fall right down and trap them. Then we'll lure the rest of their friends with them as bait, and when they're all trapped, we'll be able to take them to Lord Sardius!"

"What about the little kid?" Scorcher asked.

"We'll still be taking her to Lord Sardius as we planned," said Cronk. "He will be very pleased when he hears our plans for her, for we're going to train her to become a new member of the Obsidian Devourers!"

"Excellent plan, Cronk!" cackled Ciara. "This is absolutely brilliant! Lord Sardius will certainly give us a promotion!"

"I am so excited for that!" exclaimed Scorcher gleefully. "At last, fortune is smiling upon us!"

"You got it right," said Cronk. "Now, let's hurry and get this over with. Those fools must be getting close by now."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the Pyre Squad, Draco, Lily and Darky already reached Lake Biwa, and they have managed to find their hideout. After hearing everything the Pyre Squad was plotting, they consulted together, realising that they will have to find a way to get back Flora without falling into their trap.

"Oh goodness, oh geez, this is really bad," said Draco anxiously. "Those three goons are prepared for our arrival, so rescuing Flora is not going to be easy."

"We need to think to up of a plan, and fast," said Lily. "The time is ticking by, and it won't be long until Uncle Linden and Aunt Iris returns and find that we're missing along with the trashed house."

"I don't know how it would be possible," said Darky. "They got the trap set, and the only we can be able to avoid getting caught is if one us go in disguise and ambush the Pyre Squad."

"Like how are we going to do that?" asked Lily. "It would be hard to think up of a very clever disguise that would fool the Pyre Squad. Maybe if we tried to use that dummy they tricked us with, but then again, they'd probably be the wiser."

"Hold on a second!" exclaimed Draco as an idea finally struck his mind. "What did you say about the dummy Flora doll?"

"I said we could have used it against the Pyre Squad, but they might not fall for that," said Lily. "It's not like as if we could be able to trade it for Flora, and all the same, the dummy had lost its head."

"Lily, you are a genius!" said Draco brightly. "We could be able to switch the two together with another baby dragoness, and then trap the Pyre Squad right where they stand!"

Lily was confused. "Are you serious, Draco?" she asked. "How on Earth are we going to find another baby dragoness? It's impossible!"

"Not unless someone poses as a baby and distract the Pyre Squad while we rescue Flora," said Draco. "And I know just the right one to carry it out!"

"Who could it be? Is it Darky?"

"No, it's going to be you, Lily," replied Draco.

Lily was speechless. "I beg your pardon?" she exclaimed in disapproval. "You're telling me that I have to dress up as a baby?"

"Well, Darky's too young to fight the Pyre Squad," said Draco. "And you're cute enough to make an adorable baby. As friends, we're in this together, so it's best that we cooperate on this."

"Look, I understand I am your friend," said Lily crossly. "But in all seriousness, this is CROSSING THE LINE!"

"Hey, you got to remember that this is the only way we to help get Flora out of there," said Draco with optimism. "If we stop this discussing and hurry, we can get back to Minabe Village in time to clean up the cottage before your Uncle Linden and Aunt Iris return."

"Come on, Lily," said Darky. "We can't do this without you, and we don't have much time anyway."

Lily thought deeply about it. She did not want to go along with doing something very undignifying, but she knew that Draco and Darky were right that they have to rescue Flora from the Pyre Squad and get her back to Minabe Village very quickly.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it," she conceded. "Gotcha, not a problem, but keep this in mind and I'm going to make this very clear, Draco, you owe me a LOT in return after this."

"Okay, anything you say, Lily," said Draco. "Now, let's put our plan into action!"

With that, the three dragons began by borrowing Lily's capsule which contained a wide variety of clothing. They managed to find some pyjamas that could easily pass off as baby attire. Then they used a large white blanket to fit it snugly under Lily as if it were a diaper. Finally, they extracted some branches out of a tree and made a large out of it. Lily reluctantly climbed onto the basket and tried to appear as cute as possible.

"Perfect!" smiled Draco. "You look very convincing."

"Now to get their attention," said Darky. "Knock on the door, and leave the basket right in front."

Draco tapped on the door to the Pyre Squad's hideout, and both he and Darky quickly hid themselves while Lily started making baby noises. Ciara opened the door and was surprised when she saw the basket with Lily inside, though to Ciara, she looked like a big pink baby dragoness.

"Goo-goo, gaga!" gurgled Lily. "I miss mama and dada!"

"What is this?" asked Ciara. "Did someone leave a baby in our doorstep?"

"No doubt they did," said Scorcher.

"Very unusual indeed," said Cronk. "But maybe we could double the bait since Draco, Lily, and Darky are likely to come and save this baby."

"Ah, good thinking," said Ciara. "Bring this one inside!"

Scorcher and Cronk lifted the basket and followed Ciara into their hideout. They did not notice, however, was that Draco and Darky snuck their way inside and were waiting patiently for Lily to begin her ambush.

"Phew!" remarked Scorcher. "This is a heavy one!"

"You wimp!" scoffed Ciara. "Surely that kind of work isn't too much for a man like you, eh?"

"Oh, I'm going to be a lot more than work for you three!" laughed Lily.


	6. Chapter 6: Tit for Tat

**Chapter 6 – Tit for Tat  
**

"What was that?" exclaimed the Pyre Squad, for they heard the voice coming from within the basket.

"I'm not really a baby, Pyre Squad!" said Lily as she took off her disguise. "It was actually me, Lily of Cynder's group!"

The Pyre Squad gasped in shock, realising that they have been fooled.

"Why you rotten little schemer!" hissed Ciara. "You really have some nerve to trick us like that!"

"Well, that's what you get for fooling us with that dummy!" said Lily. "Surround them!"

Draco and Darky leapt out from their hiding spots, blocking the way out.

"We've got you cornered, Pyre Squad!" declared Draco. "Give us back the baby right this minute!"

Ciara sneered confidently. "You're going to have to fight us first to get her back, fools!" she said nastily. "And if you know what's good for her, you'd give yourselves up!"

"That's right," said Scorcher. "Surrender to us now, and the baby will not be harmed."

"And besides, Cynder and the others aren't here to help you," taunted Cronk.

"Nice try, but even without Cynder and our friends, we're still strong," said Lily.

"We shall see," said the Pyre Squad, unaware that Flora has woken up and started to wander around, and the trigger for the cage was not set off.

Lily and Draco fought against the Pyre Squad, but found that their combined strength was not enough to subdue the villainous trio, and they would need the rest of the group to help them. The Pyre Squad made quick work out of Draco and Lily, while Darky watched frozen with fear.

"Tut, tut, it's a real pity that you couldn't be able to defeat us that easily," laughed Scorcher. "You should have had your pitiful friends as backup."

"This isn't over yet, you losers," said Draco. "Something will come up and stop you for sure."

"Is that right?" asked Ciara. "I'd like to see what it is! Face it, dino-dragon, you have lost, we have won, and there's nothing that can stop us now!"

The Pyre Squad laughed evilly, feeling very sure that they were unstoppable, but at that moment, Flora charged towards the trio and knocked out Scorcher. Draco, Lily, and Darky were surprised that a baby dragoness managed to take down a full-grown adult dragon.

"Scorcher!" cried Ciara and Cronk as they tended to the fallen Scorcher. He slowly got up, but was still reeling from the blow.

"Flora, this is so incredible!" exclaimed Lily.

Flora turned around and nodded at her cousin. She then turned to face the Pyre Squad.

"So you wanted to play rough, little brat?" hissed Ciara. "Well, then, you're going to wish that you have never been hatched!"

"Let's get her!" shouted Cronk, and together, the Pyre Squad lunged right at Flora. Flora did not flinch, though, and when they were close enough, she spewed a stream of small yet powerful flames that left the Pyre Squad screaming in agony as they were burnt. Then, she cracked her short tail like a whip and struck the Pyre Squad with it, sending them sailing into the spot they left her. The alarm starting blaring, and before the Pyre Squad could act, the cage above fell right down trapping them.

"I can't believe it!" they wailed as they were unable to break out. "Hoist with our own petard!"

"Alright, we did it!" exclaimed Draco.

"We owe it all to my little cousin Flora," smiled Lily. "You are such a strong little baby girl."

Flora giggled and gurgled as she felt very pleased with herself.

"Guess we better head home now," said Darky. "I think we've seen about enough of the Pyre Squad's hideout."

"Yeah, definitely!" laughed Lily. "Come on, everyone! Let's get out of this dump!"

The Pyre Squad looked on feeling very humiliated from their defeat. Ciara was seething with anger as she held and shook on the bars furiously but to no avail.

"WE HATE ALL OF YOU!" she screamed. "ONCE WE GET OURSELVES FREE FROM THIS PRISON, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Oh, shut up, Ciara," grumbled Cronk.

Scorcher said nothing, but shuddered fearfully at Ciara's raving and ranting.

* * *

Back at Minabe Village, Draco, Lily, Darky, and Flora have made it to the home of Lily's relatives. Flora had the time of her life when she was riding on the back of her cousin during their return flight. As they went inside, Lily placed Flora back in her crib, and then she, Draco, and Darky got to work cleaning up the house as quickly as they, knowing that Linden and Iris would be back at any minute.

Just as they nearly finished cleaning the kitchen, they could hear the sound of footsteps coming closer, and as soon as they have finished, the door opened, and Linden and Iris entered the house.

"We're home, Lily!" called Linden. "So, how were things with Flora?"

"It went all well, Uncle Linden," said Lily, feeling very relieved that the house was cleaned just in time.

Iris went into Flora's room and saw that she was calm and happy. She had never expected that as she and Linden were used to their baby daughter being noisy and restless.

"That's incredible!" she exclaimed. "Flora seems to be in such a good mood! How do you do it, you three?"

"We just had some playtime together," replied Lily, while Draco and Darky remained silent and looked at each other exchanging gestures in not to reveal what truly happened. "Turns out that all she ever needed was a bit of exercise."

"I'm very impressed with how you took care of our Flora," smiled Linden. "Would you like to come back again another day whenever we have something up that we need to do for ourselves?"

Draco and Darky were alarmed, hoping that Lily would not accept the offer as they have had enough of babysitting for now.

"Oh, I'd love to, Uncle Linden, but I can't," said Lily while Draco and Darky sighed in relief. "I've got very important things to tend to with my friends over at the Ise-Shima National Park."

"That's fine," said Iris. "At least you got to meet your cousin. Maybe someday in the future, you'll get to see her grown up."

"I'd love that," smiled Lily.

* * *

After saying their goodbyes to Linden, Iris, and Flora and promising to see them again whenever they could, Lily, Draco, and Darky flew their way to the Ise-Shima National Park. They could only wonder how their friends were doing while they were away. Soon they reached the village, and there they could see Cynder and Torden waiting for them.

"Well, it's about time that you guys have returned!" called Cynder.

"Bowser has returned, Draco," added Torden. "He was wondering where you have been, and I told him that you, Lily, and Darky went to babysit her little cousin."

"Guys, it's good to see you all again," said Draco. "We had quite a day."

"It sure looks like it," said Jakkin. "You guys look totally bushed."

Once everyone got together for some tea, Lily told the group about their ordeal with Flora, how she got kidnapped, and how she, Draco, and Darky rescued her.

"So, those dirtbags are still causin' trouble?" asked Jakkin as he sipped his cup of tea. "They just refuse to learn anything, don't they?"

"Tell me about it," said Draco. "Well, at least they won't be able to bother us for a while as they're trapped in their cage. Talk about ironic."

Just then, Cynder received a call from Blaze.

"Hello, Blaze?" she answered.

"Hey, Cynder," replied Blaze. "Sorry to call on such short notice, but I thought I'd let you know that Cream the Rabbit will be on her way to Japan to visit you guys. She was really curious about your village after hearing about your adventures from us. Please make her welcome when she comes."

"Okay, then," said Cynder. "Uh, I guess, thanks for letting me in on this."

"Not a problem, Cynder," said Blaze. "Well, I'll let you go now. Have a nice night!"

"Good night to you too," replied Cynder, and she hung up.

"So we're getting a visitor, eh?" asked Percival. "This should be very interesting."

"Yeah, very much so," said Cynder. "Ah, well, tomorrow is another day, so we better make the best of what will happen."

"You said it, Cynder," said Draco as he stretched his arms. "Boy, what a day, and I can hardly wait to relax tomorrow and listen to some Nightriders."

"Not so fast, Draco!" said Lily sharply. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Um, forgetting what, Lily?" Draco asked nervously.

"Well, a certain member of our group has a great big balance of returning favours to ANOTHER member in request of her high quality performances as being a baby, you know, tit for tat," replied Lily. "I got a list of chores for you to do while I do my shopping with Cynder, Percival, and this Cream girl we'll be seeing tomorrow."

"Oh, right…" sighed Draco.

"First off, you can clean out the closet in my room and organise my clothing," began Lily. "Then you will vacuum my floors, scrub the bathroom, and I'll be hungry, so you'll have to make lunch for us when we get back, and, oh yes, there's one more thing you have to do."

"What is that?" asked Draco.

"Set up every single one of the souvenirs I brought from Hawaii, and I want them to be in a very specific order, which I shall list tomorrow morning," finished Lily.

Draco was hoping to relax for the next day, but with a list of chores Lily has for him, he realised that the day will be just as busy as today. He knew he could not welch out on the promise he made to Lily, as he was the one who suggested her to go as a baby in disguise when they were trying to save Flora. Now that her part has been done, he had to return the favour so that things can be even between them.

 **To Be Continued…**

* * *

My poor Charizard-sona, just when he thought he could relax, he has to repay the favour to his friend Lily for the whole baby disguise she did. Tit for tat, indeed. So, with this story done, another one will be on its way soon, and we'll be getting yet another new character added to the repertoire. Have a nice night, and see you all again next time!


End file.
